AstraZeneca, Broad Institute partner on antibiotic, antiviral drugs

By Alaric DeArment

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A drug maker and medical research institute will work together to identify new treatments for bacterial and viral infections.

AstraZeneca and the Broad Institute, owned jointly by Harvard University and MIT, announced Monday that they would collaborate for two years to develop medicines to treat severe infections, saying the identification of high-quality chemicals for the development of new drugs was a significant challenge. The two will use the Broad Institute's collection of 100,000 chemicals known as diversity-oriented synthesis, or DOS compounds.

"We believe new and collaborative approaches between the private and public sectors will help speed the discovery and development of new treatments, particularly for antibiotic-resistant infections," AstraZeneca Infection Innovative Medicines Unit VP and head Manos Perros said. "We are very pleased to work hand-in-hand with the Broad Institute to combine our unique resources and strong histories in innovation, discovery and development to speed advancements in treatments for infections."